General Humour Books for the UK

Adrian Mole: the Cappuccino Years
by Sue Townsend

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Michael Joseph
Hardcover - 416 pages
( 7 October, 1999)

Michael Joseph

Amazon.co.uk
Adrian Mole is balding, he's bitter and he's back, this time aged 30Ľ. Working at the Hoi Polloy restaurant, Soho, where a typical menu includes:

Heinz Tomato Soup,
(with white bread floaters) Grey Lamb Chops
Boiled Cabbage avec Dan Quayle Potatoes
Dark Brown onion gravy
Spotted Dick

The Little Book of Complete Bollocks
by Alistair Beaton

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Pocket Books
Paperback - 112 pages
( 4 October, 1999)

Pocket Books

Synopsis
The antidote to kitschy little books that promise the solution to life's problems. Read more

Bill Bryson's Bizarre World
by Bill Bryson, Katherine Lamb (Illustrator)

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Warner
Paperback - 120 pages
(12 October, 1995)

Warner

Synopsis
A collection of tall tales, absurd stories and crazy true-life anecdotes. Bill Bryson is also the author of "The Lost Continent", "Made in America" and "Neither Here Nor There". Read more

Playing the Moldovans at Tennis
by Tony Hawks

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Ebury Press
Paperback - 248 pages
( 6 January, 2000)

Ebury Press

Amazon.co.uk
Tony Hawks' debut book, Round Ireland with a Fridge, was an irreverent satire. The topic of the sequel is even more absurd. Like Round Ireland, it supposedly originates from an obscure bet. This time, Hawks bets he can't track-down the Moldovan football team and beat them all at tennis. The loser... Read more

The Onion Presents Our Dumb Century
by Scott Dikkers

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Boxtree
Paperback - 192 pages
(23 July, 1999)

Boxtree

Amazon.co.uk
It's America's most popular newspaper, but there may be a few people out there who are sadly unaware of The Onion's mighty journalistic legacy. To combat this cultural illiteracy, Editor-in-Chief Scott Dikkers and his writing staff have assembled this collection of great front pages from the last... Read more

Blackadder: the Whole Damn Dynasty
by Richard Curtis, et al

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Penguin Books
Paperback - 480 pages
( 4 November, 1999)

Penguin Books

Amazon.co.uk
For many people under 35, their most vivid glimpses of Britain's illustrious history have been through the Blackadder chronicles which brightened television screens from 1983 to 1989. Their constantly reborn protagonist, Edmund Blackadder, flounced through a bloody Middle Ages, a campy Elizabethan... Read more

Adrian Mole: from Minor to Major
by Sue Townsend

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Mandarin
Paperback - 496 pages
( 1 October, 1992)

Mandarin

Synopsis
Contains the complete text of "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4" and "The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole" together with the selection of diaries, letters and poems published in "The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole". In addition there are 40 pages of diary extracts for 1989 and 1990. Read more

The Deeper Meaning of Liff
by Douglas Adams, et al

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Pan
Paperback - 176 pages
(23 October, 1992)

Pan

Synopsis
The updated, revised edition of "The Meaning of Liff", with illustrations from "Private Eye" cartoonist Bert Kitchen. Read more

10.

The Dilbert Principle
by Scott Adams(Illustrator)

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Boxtree
Paperback - 352 pages
(22 August, 1997)

Boxtree

Amazon.co.uk
You loved the comic strip; now read the business advice. Or should that be anti-business advice? Scott Adams provides the hapless victim of re-engineering, rightsizing and Total Quality Management some strategies for fighting back, er, coping. Forced to work long hours, with no hope of a raise?... Read more

11.

Molesworth
by Geoffrey Willans, et al

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Penguin Books
Paperback - 432 pages
(28 October, 1999)

Penguin Books

Synopsis
Nothing escapes Nigel Molesworth's disaffected eye and he has little time for such things as botany, walks, poetry, snekes and oiks. Instead he is very good at missing lessons, charming masters and putting down little brothers. Read more

12.

On the Town with The League of Gentlemen
by Mark Gatiss, et al

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
BBC Audio (Spoken Word)
Audio Cassette
(26 July, 2000)

BBC Audio (Spoken Word)

Amazon.co.uk
A young man arrives in the northern town of Spent, planning to stay for just one night with his aunt and uncle before attending a job interview the next morning. It will be several weeks before he leaves the town in the final episode of this six-part series, following a terrifying ordeal at the... Read more

13.

Viz Presents: Roger's Profanisaurus
by Soren Kierkegaard

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
John Brown Publishing
Paperback - 96 pages
(20 October, 1998)

John Brown Publishing

Synopsis
A dictionary of swearing. Read more

14.

The Almost Totally Complete I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue
by Tim Brooke-Taylor, et al

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Orion
Paperback - 128 pages
(28 October, 1999)

Orion

Synopsis
In this volume, readers revisit such regular themes as: Celebrity Lonely Hearts, Famous Unsuccessful Chat-up Lines, Famous First Words, Hitler's Diaries, Unhelpful Advice, Mrs Trellis' letters, Name That Barcode, National Anthems, Humphrey's Opening Links and Proverbs in Translation. Read more

15.

The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook
by Joshua Piven, et al

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Chronicle Books
Paperback - 192 pages
(28 October, 1999)

Chronicle Books

Amazon.co.uk

How to Wrestle Free From an Alligator: 4. If its jaws are closed on something you want to remove (for example, a limb), tap or punch it on the snout.

Though it's being marketed as a "humorous" title--after all, it's unlikely you'll be called upon to land a plane, jump from a motorcycle to a moving... Read more

16.

Round Ireland with a Fridge
by Tony Hawks

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Ebury Press
Paperback - 256 pages
( 7 April, 1998)

Ebury Press

Synopsis
TV comedian Tony Hawks tries to win a bet by hitch-hiking around the circumference of Ireland in one calendar month, with a fridge. This is the story of Tony's adventures - the people he meets, the difficulties, the triumphs and that fridge. Read more

17.

The Unadulterated Cat
by Terry Pratchett, Gray Jolliffe (Illustrator)

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Orion Paperbacks
Paperback
( 2 December, 1999)

Orion Paperbacks

A reader from London, 28 August, 2000
For pet lovers everywhere!
Okay, this isn't rocket science - it's a jokey little book about cats, but it is a treat. I'm a dog lover and I still enjoyed it - there were even a few attibutes I could associate with my canine. I'm really writing to take this opportunity to thank Amazon. As a Terry Pratchett 'fan' I have been on...Read more

18.

The Mullet: Hairstyle of the Gods
by Barney Hoskyns, Mark Larson

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Bloomsbury
Hardcover - 128 pages
( 9 December, 1999)

Bloomsbury

Amazon.co.uk
In the post-war years of the 20th century fashions came and went but some managed to cross the boundaries of time refusing to disappear into style oblivion. The mini-skirt, flared trousers, polka dots, all politely meandered in and out of fashion--happy to be described as "retro", pleased to make a... Read more

19.

Blackadder: the Whole Damn Dynasty
by Richard Curtis, et al

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Michael Joseph
Hardcover - 480 pages
( 5 November, 1998)

Michael Joseph

20.

Mitch Murray's Complete Book of One-liners for Weddings
by Mitch Murray

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Foulsham
Paperback - 128 pages
( 3 August, 1994)

Foulsham

Synopsis
A handbook about how to make amusing wedding speeches, which includes suitable jokes for the bride's father, groom and best man, as well as tips on preparation, style and delivery. Read more

21.

Real Sex
by Grub Smith

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
HarperCollins Trade
Hardcover - 160 pages
(19 April, 1999)

HarperCollins Trade

Amazon.co.uk
Sex. It's got three letters, makes for a hatful of points at Scrabble and it's a total mystery to most of the male population of Britain.

Men of the new Millennium need to know more about the act of "doing it" than can be learned in the snug of the "Frog and Calculator" and that's where this book... Read more

22.

Boring Postcards
by Martin Parr

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Phaidon Press
Hardcover - 176 pages
(September 1999)

Phaidon Press

Amazon.co.uk
As the title of this little book suggests, each of the postcards that fill its pages is, in a sense, quite boring. Stale, often dully composed images of corporate headquarters, roadways, bus station parking lots, convalescent home dayrooms, hospital cafeterias and undistinguished motels. But look... Read more

23.

Lip Reading
by Maureen Lipman

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Robson Books Ltd
Hardcover - 254 pages
(October 1999)

Robson Books Ltd

Synopsis
Maureen Lipman reveals how she found herself trussed up backstage in Birmingham, ponders the more peculiar aspects of cricket terminology, explores the miracle of plastic tablecloths. Read more

24.

Complete Prose
by Woody Allen

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Picador
Paperback - 480 pages
(10 June, 1998)

Picador

Synopsis
A collection of 52 pieces of writing displaying Woody Allen's own brand of humour. Read more

25.

"The Onion's" Finest News Reporting Vol 1
by Scott Dikkers

Usually dispatched in 24 hours
Boxtree
Paperback - 165 pages
( 7 April, 2000)

Boxtree

Amazon.co.uk
From the editors of the most hilarious periodical around comes The Onion's Finest News Reporting, a collection of stories and commentaries with a sublime satirical bite. Devotees of the Madison, Wisconsin, weekly will erupt with laughter at each turn of the page, while newcomers will wonder how they... Read more

26.		The Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams, John Lloyd
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Pan Paperback - 191 pages (11 November, 1983) Pan
andy@mantaplan.com from Godalming, England, 25 November, 1999 The only book you will ever need - almost I'm now on my second copy having worn out the first. It's travelled with me throughout the world and made me laugh even on the most boring flights and in the most tedious airport. Can be used anywhere when you want to embarrass yourself by laughing out loud.Read more

27.		"The Sun": Hold Ye Front Page by John Perry, Neil Roberts
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Times Books Paperback (14 October, 1999) Times Books
Synopsis An irreverent look at 2,000 years of history through the eyes of Britain's biggest-selling newspaper Read more

28.		Class by Jilly Cooper
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Corgi Paperback - 365 pages ( 4 March, 1999) Corgi
Synopsis Describing herself as "upper middle class", Jilly Cooper claims that snobbery is alive and kicking! Meet her characters - Mr and Mrs Nouveau-Richards, Harry Stow-Crat and Jen Teale, and observe thair everyday pretensions - their courtships, furnishings, clothes, food and careers. Read more

29.		1066 and All That by W.C. Sellar, R.J. Yeatman
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Methuen Publishing Company Paperback - 128 pages (14 December, 1998) Methuen Publishing Company
est_ms@hotmail.com from Brighton,England, 10 September, 2000 The only Memorable History of England. Sellar and Yeatman's classic retelling of history is quite clearly a Good Thing. Written in 1930, and steeped in the subversive irreverence of British humour, the book expertly and hilariously parodies the process of writing history. From the first date in English history (55 B.C.), to the point at...Read more

30.		A Tall Man in a Low Land by Harry Pearson
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Little, Brown & Company Paperback - 256 pages ( 2 September, 1999) Little, Brown & Company
Amazon.co.uk Belgium has had its share of defining moments: the treaty of Vienna after Napoleon, two world wars and, rounding out the 20th century, contaminated Coke come to mind. In A Tall Man in a Low Land the curmudgeonly comic Harry Pearson grabs this theme in his teeth and, growling through the lowlands,... Read more

31.		The Complete Yes Prime Minister by Jonathan Lynn, Anthony Jay
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours BBC Consumer Publishing (Books) Paperback - 488 pages (June 1989) BBC Consumer Publishing (Books)
huwginge@talk21.com from UK, 12 June, 2000 A superb and insightful read- typical of Yes PM A brilliant read, superbly crafted, the diary entries of James Harker, Humphrey and Bernard. The book goes through each Yes PM episode in am way of diary entries, as expected the PM's entries makes himself look clever, Humphrey's makes his irrational ideas look normal and Bernard fight with his...Read more

32.		The Little Book of Stress by Rohan Candappa
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Ebury Press Paperback - 160 pages ( 2 July, 1998) Ebury Press
Synopsis Rohan Candappa, a former copywriter turned film-maker, believes it's time to admit that stress is good. Because without stress, we would all be very nice, and stomach-churningly contented. The tips for increasing stress levels include choosing friends you don't like, and becoming a politician. Read more

33.		Now You See It, Now You Don't : Lessons in Sleight of Hand by Bill Tarr, Barry Ross
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Vintage Books Paperback - 224 pages (October 1976) Vintage Books
A reader from Cincinnati, Ohio, 19 August, 1999 The best book on sleight used by pros fit for the amatuers. I had already bought a book by Tarr, and got this. This is the best book on sleight of hand i have seen so far. it gives good illustrations for the tricks. It also gives billiard ball tricks, many used by Raymond Crow, as well as many other tricks used by Lance Burton, and all of the tricks will...Read more

34.		The Stanley Holloway Monologues by Stanley Holloway, Michael Marshall (Editor)
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Elm Tree Books Paperback - 112 pages (September 1979) Elm Tree Books
Synopsis A collection of Stanley Holloway's comic monologues. All the much-loved monologue characters, such as Albert Ramsbotton, Sam Small, Ann Boleyn and King 'Arold, are gathered together. His films include "Brief Encounter", Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet" and "My Fair Lady". Read more

35.		Bart Simpson's Guide to Life by Matt Groening(Illustrator)
		Usually dispatched in 2-3 days HarperCollins Trade Hardcover - 192 pages ( 2 December, 1996) HarperCollins Trade
Synopsis Written by the creator of "The Simpsons", this guide provides hints and tips such as "Dr Bart's Miracle Cures", "Homer's Dozen-Donut-A-Day Diet" and Marge's beauty secrets. Guest appearances by Lisa, Barney, Millhouse, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Mr Burns and Smithers are also included. Read more

36.		The Best of Annals of Improbable Research by Abrahams Marc, Marc Abrahams (Editor)
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours W.H. Freeman & Company Paperback - 256 pages (September 1997) W.H. Freeman & Company
Synopsis The "Annals of Improbable Research" (AIR) is often desribed as the "Mad Magazine of Science". It is a bi-monthly magazine and an Internet Website. It is best known for hosting the "Ig Nobel" ceremony, honouring real scientists who have conducted funded research, yet whose achievements "cannot and... Read more

37.		The Big Book of Filth by Jonathon Green
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Ward Lock Hardcover - 288 pages (October 1999) Ward Lock
Synopsis This volume lists over 5000 sex slang words in categories from anus to venereal disease. In each of the categories the words are listed with details of the date of first use and brief explanations of more complex phrases and expressions. Read more

38.		Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall by Spike Milligan
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Penguin Books Paperback - 144 pages (30 November, 1972) Penguin Books
greenm@baxter.com from Norfolk, England, 3 December, 1999 This is what war is really like. When all your ideas and impressions of what it is to be involved in a major conflict come from movies and accounts of specific events and actions, it is enlightening to read a book that so accurately explains what it WAS actually like, not only during those events, but at all the times in between....Read more

39.		Adrian Mole: the Cappuccino Years by Sue Townsend
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Penguin Audiobooks Audio Cassette (14 October, 1999) Penguin Audiobooks
Amazon.co.uk Adrian Mole is balding, he's bitter and he's back, this time aged 30Ľ. Working at the Hoi Polloy restaurant, Soho, where a typical menu includes: Heinz Tomato Soup, (with white bread floaters) Grey Lamb Chops Boiled Cabbage avec Dan Quayle Potatoes Dark Brown onion gravy Spotted Dick ... Read more

40.		Enough to Make a Cat Laugh by Deric Longden
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Corgi Paperback - 281 pages ( 1 November, 1997) Corgi
Synopsis Deric Longden shares his life with a blind novelist, Aileen Armitage, and four cats: Thermal, Tigger, Frink and Arthur. Aileen rarely trips over the cats, but they are always in danger of being mistaken for a cardigan. This humorous look at the cats should appeal to all cat-lovers. Read more

41.		Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book by Terry Jones, Brian Froud (Illustrator)
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Pavilion Books Hardcover - 64 pages (13 October, 1994) Pavilion Books
Goranka (gwhittak@glam.ac.uk) from Treforest, South Wales, 9 November, 1999 I always knew they were out there All those predictable words spring immediately to mind: delightful, wonderful, entertaining, funny, witty, brilliant, inspired, and so on. This is just the loveliest book I ever read. Fairies certainly do exist when you're reading this- as if Brian Froud's gurglesome, stinkily perty fairy pics...Read more

42.		How to Shit in the Woods by Kathleen Meyer
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Ten Speed Press Paperback - 112 pages ( 1 October, 1989) Ten Speed Press
Synopsis This updated edition provides a guide to the art of "going" out-of-doors. It deals with the whens, wheres, how, and what-nows, with chapters such as "Anatomy of a crap" and "For women only: How not to pee in your boots". It includes information on how to take waste home, for rock climbers, kayakers... Read more

44.		The Joint Rolling Handbook by Bobcat Press
		Usually dispatched in 1-2 weeks Quick American Archives Paperback - 64 pages (September 1997) Quick American Archives
paulb@postmaster.co.uk from London, England, 4 July, 2000 Who needs the hassle ? I bought this book to find some fun and easy ways to make funky joints. After your first bifta I challenge anyone to be arsed making a Windmill or some of the other impractical 4x spiff which - unless you come from the Blue Peter Academy of making things you'd need more than you fair share of sticky...Read more

45.		Bored of the Rings : A Parody of J.R.R. Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings by Henry N. Beard, Douglas C. Kenney
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Penguin Books Paperback (July 1993) Penguin Books
A reader from usa, 8 May, 2000 not a satire, please learn what satire is. for those who continue to defend this books for its value as a scathing, hilarious satire, you really need to know what satire means before you speak and use words that are intended to make you sound intelligent. the book is not really funny. it is more crude than anything else and that doesnt take...Read more

46.		In His Own Write / A Spaniard in the Works by John Lennon
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Pimlico Paperback - 170 pages ( 7 August, 1997) Pimlico
Synopsis This volume combines Lennon's two books of humorous poetry and prose, liberally illustrated with the author's own drawings. Read more

47.		Brasso, Blanco and Bull by Tony Thorne
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Constable Robinson Paperback - 245 pages (25 May, 2000) Constable Robinson
Synopsis A humorous and affectionate story of one man's National Service days. Two million young men did National Service between the end of World War II and 1963. Many loved it, some hated it, but the service left a profound impression on them all, and for most this has lasted a lifetime. After over 40... Read more

48.		I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue 5 by Humphrey Lyttleton, et al
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours BBC Audio (Spoken Word) Audio Cassette ( 1 November, 1999) BBC Audio (Spoken Word)
Synopsis A fifth selection from Radio 4's "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue", billed as "the antidote to panel games", in which Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie, Willie Rushton and Tim Brooke-Taylor indulge in silly games under the benign chairmanship of Humphrey Lyttleton. Read more

49.		Ladies of Letters by Lou Wakefield, et al
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours BBC Audio (Spoken Word) Audio Cassette ( 3 July, 2000) BBC Audio (Spoken Word)
Synopsis These cassettes of the "Woman's Hour" serial feature Vera Small and Irene Spencer, two women who record the ups and downs of family life in their regular correspondence. Read more

50.		Dancing with Cats by Burton Silver, Heather Busch
		Usually dispatched in 24 hours Weidenfeld Illustrated Paperback - 96 pages (15 July, 1999) Weidenfeld Illustrated
Amazon.co.uk With a hey diddle diddle, the creators of Why Cats Paint return with another version of feline (and human) reality. And suffice it to say that in Burton Silver and Heather Busch's hands, Kipling's cat that walked by himself has turned into a deeply co-dependent dervish. Their first book was a... Read more